France's unwelcome annual tradition

Hundreds of empty, parked cars go up in flames in France each New Year’s Eve, set on fire by young revellers, a much lamented tradition that remained intact this year with 1193 vehicles burned, Interior Minister Manuel Valls said.

His announcement was the first time in three years that such figures have been released. The conservative government of former president Nicolas Sarkozy had decided to stop publishing them in a bid to reduce the crime.